2014 Akitian anti-nuclear protests
, | status = | result = | side1 = Anti-nuclear protesters | side2 = Nationalist Party of Akitsu | side3 = | leadfigures1 = Non-centralized leadership | leadfigures2 = | leadfigures3 = | howmany1 = | howmany2 = | howmany3 = | casualties1 = | casualties2 = | casualties3 = | fatalities = | injuries = | arrests = | detentions = | charged = | fined = | casualties_label = | notes = }} The 2014 Akitian anti-nuclear demonstrations were a series of demonstrations opposing the Akitian nuclear weapons program. These protests were directly started by the Sakamoto nuclear disaster, in which a nuclear weapon accidentally detonated in the city of Sakamoto, in Minami Province. Background In the early 2000's the Akitian government was getting more and more concerned about the increasing assertiveness of China in their various territorial disputes. As an effort to increase Akitsu's military strength, then Prime Minister Kogoro Nakamori authorized the creation of the Akitian nuclear weapons program in 2003. Using what knowledge that they had from the American and Soviet nuclear weapons programs they sought to create what nuclear weapons they could. The first bomb created was to be a -based weapon. Nuclear enrichment began in 2004 in the city of Ginpo, founded by the military for the specific purpose of this nuclear program. In 2013, the first prototype nuclear weapon was created as a result of the program. An implosion-type device, it was stored in Ginpo for future transport while an underground nuclear testing facility was being constructed. On December 12th, the prototype was being transported from Ginpo to Sakamoto to be used in a planned underground nuclear test. However, the aircraft carrying the weapon crashed, resulting in an accidental nuclear explosion. Following this, the Akitian government publicly admitted that it had been secretly developing nuclear weapons. Some information regarding the nuclear program, which was previously highly classified, were made public, giving people insight into the disaster. The revelation caused great controversy within Akitsu, with the Nationalist Party defending the start of the program as "necessary at the time", though they state that "in hindsight it was a mistake". Protests Akitians started organizing via social media on December 13th, 2014, immediately after the government acknowledged the existance of a nuclear weapons program. December 15th The protests themselves began on the night of December 15th, 2014. Many Akitians went to the streets on that night to protest the nuclear program. 190,000 people protested in the capital city of Kobara alone, with millions believed to have protested nationwide. December 17th Protesters continued on December 17th, with protesters marched from the Royal Palace to the capitol building to the Legislative Building, and then dispersed from there. The number attending the protests reached a new high, with an estimated 300,000 people believed to have taken part in the progrests in Kobara alone. Furthermore several Akitian politicians, including Prime Minister Toru Fujiwara and Emperor Kaito Kobayakawa came out in support of ending the nuclear weapons program. December 20th Protests again occurred at night, marching through the streets of Akitsu to the legislative building. An estimated 200,000 people took part in the protests. Furthermore, the Liberal Democratic Party proposing a constitutional amendment to ban anyone and everyone in Akitsu from possessing, producing, and developing weapons of mass destruction, specifically naming nuclear and radiological weapons. Akitian public reaction The Akitian public reacted positively to the protests, with many joining the protesters once the initial groups took to the streets. The protests themselves caused disruptions in traffic across Akitsu, but this didn't seem to cause any issue within Akitsu. Akitian government response The Akitian government has been monitoring the protests using it's police force, but has allowed the protests to continue unfettered. In spite of the fact that the protesters didn't get authorization to hold such a mass demonstration (such authorization is necessary in Akitsu if traffic may be disrupted) the Akitian government made an exception due to the spontaneous nature of the demonstrations. See Also